Among the most stunning sights in the capital, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, with its curved peacock-blue tiled roof and slanted cream walls is a prime example of the neoclassical style, favored by CKS as a counterpoint to the Cultural Revolution's destruction of genuine classical culture in China.
It is also mired in controversy because of its role in commemorating a dictator. As part of Taiwan’s plans to remove authoritarian symbols, efforts are underway to rename and repurpose the building and "do something" with Chiang’s giant bronze statue, which sits pride of place up top, gazing northwards towards China.
Entrance to the main hall is made via a series of 89 steps (Chiang's age when he died). Inside the cavernous hall is an artifact museum with Chiang's two Cadillacs, various documents and articles from daily life. Some eclectic and very excellent exhibitions are held in two halls next to Chiang's, which are generally ticketed. Some past shows include art by Andy Warhol, pieces from the British Museum and sketches from Japan's Studio Ghibli (of Spirited Away fame).
Make sure to watch the polished choreography of the changing of the guard (arrive 10 minutes beforehand to get an unobstructed view) on the hour, every hour. The flag raising at dawn and lowering at dusk is also conducted with pomp and is popular with local tourists. Note the main hall shuts at 6pm, but the surrounding park is open 5am to midnight.
There’s always something happening in the wide-open Liberty Square (renamed in 2007 in honor of Taiwan's long road to democracy): summer jazz nights, 4 June Tiananmen Square vigils and art festivals. On rainy nights, the puddles make excellent props for reflective photos of the five illuminated archways of the main gate.
At the entrance to Liberty Square is the National Theater and Concert Hall, with both buildings resembling Chinese temples with their upturned eaves and red pillars. These are the premier venues in Taipei for dances, musicals, and Chinese and western operas – buy tickets from the desks at the back of each hall. If the performances aren't your thing, it’s worth popping inside just to explore the palatial old-school elegance of the buildings, and maybe even enjoying some live jazz with your dinner at Theater Trattoria.
Who was Chiang Kai-shek?
Chiang Kai-shek, or the "Generalissimo," as he was also known, was the leader of the Kuomintang (KMT), or the "Chinese Nationalists." After losing the war to the communists in China in 1949, Chiang fled with his defeated soldiers to Taiwan, which he ruled with an iron fist until his death in 1975. Although Taiwan industrialized and became wealthy under his rule, he is a controversial figure today because of the hundreds of thousands of people who were executed or imprisoned unjustly as part of the White Terror.